Mid-Week Musings

Swimming In Their Wake

There are always plenty of comments following the announcement of a new Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame induction class. One of the most frequent is “if A, why the hell not B?” That question is usually framed as a complaint, but in actuality looking at who does and does not get in in a particular year can generally provide insight as to who is next in line. If the voters select an act that might show that there is strong voting interest in similar acts. So why not look at this year’s class and see if the results bode well for future hopefuls?

Starting alphabetically the list leads with Kate Bush, and the exercise immediately becomes tricky because a large part of her appeal is the fact that literally no one sounds quite like her. But while there is no other Kate Bush lying in the weeds, she did inspire generations of idiosyncratic female singer songwriters with unique points of view. To use one example, it is almost impossible to envision Tori Amos had there been no Kate Bush to lead the way.

I do find it difficult to see Bush breaking the door open to lead similar artists into the Hall, and that is only partly to do with the inherent sexism in the music industry. Getting back to Tori Amos, her fan base is as passionate is there is for any artist, but I don’t believe that base is large enough and she didn’t make enough of a mainstream breakthrough. Kate Bush’s closest doppelgänger is likely Bjork, and if you want to talk about a singular talent whose individuality cannot be replicated, look no further. I’ve seen her name brought up on occasion in online discussions. I still look at it as a longshot, but you never know what could happen as the percentage of boomers in the voting population starts to dip. If more arty types join the nominating committee and make her case, it could happen.

If there is any artist that I could see following in Bush’s footsteps it might be Fiona Apple. She rarely releases new music, but when she does it soars to the top of every critic’s list. She clearly has a great deal of respect in the industry, did have a sufficient level of success during her commercial peak, and younger generations of artists look up to her in awe. The rub is that there might not be enough voters who would give her a close look, and the fact that she has never been a prolific artist hurts her as well.

Long story short, I’m uncertain if Bush’s election will open up the floodgates. It’s a shame because as has been pointed out multiple times the gender disparity in the plaque room is unacceptable. But her singularity makes it unlikely that decision makers could use the Kate Bush path as a way to correct that issue.

That Was Then, This Is Now

It’s apparent that we have become an increasingly immature and selfish society. The constant mantra is rights without obligations or responsibilities. Nothing is more important than my personal rights, it’s not my concern if they infringe on yours. It’s difficult not to wonder how successful what are arguably the two most effective public health initiatives would have been in the current climate.

Nothing has been as beneficial for both life expectancies and general health than restrictions on public smoking. For simple proof just look at any random photo of someone from the 1970s. Chances are very good that the person in the photo looks significantly older than someone who is the same age now. Or even think about something as simple as getting home at the end of the day and not needing to air out your clothes to remove the odor of stale cigarette smoke. And smoking on airplanes? I don’t care how good the air circulation is, saying that one can only smoke in specific rows does little to improve air quality in the cabin. There is no way that smoking bans would gain traction if they were introduced today. Look no further than Congress; earlier this year the smoking ban in member’s offices was rescinded.

I also have little confidence that seat belt laws would pass muster in the current climate. Hell, I even wonder if the “but my rights!” crowd would accept drunk driving laws, but all one needs to do is take any story from the pandemic, substitute “seat belts” wherever the word “mask” appears and speculate on what would happen. There would be TikTok videos of people pulling out knives and physically removing seat belts from their cars. People would upload videos in which they claim they’re unable to properly breathe under those onerous restraints. We would constantly hear the phrase “nanny state” as adults tell stories of how they rolled around in the backseats of their parents’ cars unbelted yet they turned out OK. It’s insane. Somehow the attitude that the needs of the one outweighs the needs of the many has metastasized.

A Most Dangerous Man

It was easy to chuckle at Robert Kennedy Jr. and set him aside into his little corner as he spewed all manners of conspiracy theories and antivax nonsense. But a run for the presidency makes it more difficult to ignore him, especially since his early poll numbers ran inexplicably high, although there are already signs that they’ve begun to come down. For whatever reason, there are people who listen to what he has to say, and a presidential campaign will amplify his voice further.

It’s a reality that primary season attracts all sorts of crazies eager to toss their hats into the ring. How many of them are delusional enough to believe they can actually win as opposed to how many of them are grabbing the opportunity to draw attention/fundraise is another matter. It’s striking to see, at least in this century, how many of these types run as Republicans. Generally speaking, Democratic voters tend to toss them over the side quickly, whereas Republican voters are attracted to the bright shiny objects. The candidacies of your Howard Schultzes and Marianne Williamsons fizzled out, but the likes of Herman Cain showed stronger staying power. Is it worth pointing out the fact that the GOP often cynically elevated under qualified African American candidates? “We can’t be racists, we’re voting for Ben Carson!”

Now, there is zero chance that RFK Jr. can actually win the nomination. He can pick off voters dissatisfied with Joe Biden, but his stance against vaccination is central to his pitch, and that’s an immediate turnoff to a wide swath of the Democratic voting base. What he can do is land some glancing blows to Biden’s reelection campaign, which is not nothing. It’s worth noting that despite the party’s wish to begin the primary season in South Carolina, as of now state officials still intend to hold Iowa and New Hampshire on their traditional dates. If so, Biden won’t be on the ballot in those states and there will be so many “Kennedy Wins Iowa” headlines taken out of context.

As I say in the headline, Kennedy is a truly dangerous man and his run is going to give him a platform that he does not deserve. This is making me reconsider any opinions I may have previously held about Cheryl Hines.

An Historic Day In The NBA

Most of the trade agreements we read about right now cannot be made official until the new league year begins next week, but moves galore are in the pipeline. One announcement that came out on Monday really stands out. The Atlanta Hawks have agreed to trade John Collins to Utah for Rudy Gay.

The news report about the agreement stated that Collins is 25 years old. That’s gotta be a typo. Collins has been on the trading block for at least 15 years by now, it’s mathematically impossible for him to be only 25. It seems as if Atlanta has wanted to move his contract from the moment it was signed. The return on the deal is woefully inadequate, it screams salary dump. But those of that have grown tired of reading Collins trade rumors never imagined we would actually see this day. Best to let Kevin Garnett speak for all of us.

Sweaters and Pride

More fallout from the refusal of assorted NHL players and even some entire teams to wear special jerseys during warmups preceding Pride Night games last season. In a classic throwing out the baby with the bathwater response, NHL commish Gary Bettman announced that next season no special jerseys of any kind will be worn next season. So, in order to appease a certain number of close minded bigots, the league will cut back on celebrating groups of all types.

A couple of important points to keep in mind. First, teams are still free to hold Pride Night, Military Appreciation Night, etc. The only restriction is that special jerseys will no longer be produced for those nights. Second, these special jerseys were rarely worn during actual games, only in warmups. However, the jerseys would then often by auctioned off for charity. I’m sure the league will find a way to replace those lost funds, but the league’s response here is lose-lose. You don’t respond to bigotry by saying “Fine, have it your way.”

That’s That

Hopefully those of you living in parts of the country that are dealing with extreme weather are handling things well. Thanks as always for reading, and we’ll talk again on Friday. Beach balls are optional.